Checking cabinet



Feb. 19, 1952 E, W, DAVlS 2,585,919

CHECKING CABINET Filed March 7, 1945 3 Shets-Sheet l Feb. 19, 1952 E. w. DAVIS CHECKING CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed MaICh 7, 1945 Feb. 19, 1952 E, w. DAVIS CHECKING CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 7, 1945 Patented Feb. 19, 1952 pnlcnJzNG CABINET lElmer LDaViS, :Newton Center, iiMass., assigner to VYAmerican 'Locker Company, luci, Boston, Mass.,1acorporation of Delaware -ApplicationlMarch 7, 1945,iSerialNof581504 L SVClaims. `'(Cl. 31,2-287) This vinvention relates to Ychecking cabinets and more 4.especially toa-"novelrcash box :or bag distributing and receiving assembly -'for automatically serving 4the lsales employees Ain department stores. The :present procedure of manually ydistributing -the required cash and equipment tothe employes at the beginning of eaohfday'and of checking in the lreceipts at the end .of the-day creates -two inefcient and confused bottle-necks fo'f chaotic .nature yand so dividesjresponsibility and fosters laxity'fthat substantial losses, inaccuracies and confusion results. The primary object of myfinvention residesinthe production of -a novel cash box control rservice which Will-not only eliminate these objections 4and permit each employee to serve herself both Amorning and'evening but will furthermoreplace each Aemployee .on hei own responsibility and `eliminate errors due to the ineiciencyv and carelessness of others. n

My invention contemplates theemployment of a cash container-distributing and receiving assembly embodying `the Yuse of cabinetseach containing -a plurality of individual employee fcompartments. VThe compartments are of uniform size and shape and'in the 'preferred form of the invention each is adapted toreceive a cash box of ypredetermineddimensionto fit withinthe compartment. YAAll compartments are open at the rear for-free insertion and removal of-thelboxes by supervised clerks and the ifront of-each compartmen't isprovijded with a closure door having a 'key controlled lock. Acompartment, -cash box and cooperating-:key are assigned to each sales employeewho thereupon'becomes personally responsible for thesame.

The cash boxes are made up at night and placed inthe compartments and each employee secures her "box inthe morning merelyfby using her key. The loc-k -isconstructed to retainthe key when the compartment 'is in unlocked condition and, in accordance with my invention, the key and-lock can be moved lto thevdoor-locking positiononly when the 'cash box is in the :compartment and the door closed,therebypreventing unauthorized locking'of the door and removalfof the key. r'At theend 'of l'the `day' each employee returns her cash fbox to its compartment and locks the door, takingithekey Withher. "It Will berapparent that in .accordance with 4the invention the Lemployee cannot :lock .the compartment :door: and take the key-withoutiirst depositing the zbox in kthe -compartnient. -Ih =,:production of ta cabinetfv embodying-these novel features comprises afurther :object otnthe invention. Y

A rrecord of uabsentees is :essential and it '.will be` apparentthat'theLboxesremaining in the rcompartmentsafterthe opening hour in .the .morning provides such Va .record Temporary xsub stitutesales employeesare assignedto these'fboxes andfgivelreceipts therefor as theboxesrarehanded out fb-y .the cashier. .Each compartment .lock is also `provided vwith Va meter which automatically records `'any tampering with fthe :compartment aside'fromrtheir use at the regularmorning land evening periods. The production of aznovel control fservice :of 'this nature embodying "the cash box .distributing =andreceiving assembly herein described comprises .a `further yobject :of the :invention.

.These and other 'features of 'the linventionwill be best .understood `and appreciated Vfrom ythe following description fof preferred embodiments thereof lselected for .purposes of yillustration and shown --in the-accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. l isa 'fragmentary front elevation of an employee locker cabinet embodying my invention,

lFig. v2 is averticalsectional view taken on line 2-2-of Fig.` 1,

Fig..3is an/-enlarged front `elevationof one Aof the cabinet-compartments,partiallyfbroken away to-show a portion of the lock mechanism,

#Figxi 4-is aplan section taken=on linef`4-4 of Fig. '-3,

fFig.`-5 isa rfragmentary view taken fon linel 5-5 of :Fig y3, I

2Fig.ff'6 is a plan sectional view through a 'compartmenthaving a modied form of lock control,

Eig; '7 is afragmentary rear face view illustrating-laportion of Itheilock controlling mechanism,

.-FigJS isa fragmentary view taken on lined- 8 of Fig. '9 and showing mechanism .permitting movement `of the 'lock fbolt to door-locking po sitionlonly'when the door fis fully closed, and

Fig'. 9ais afplan viewftaken on line'S-Bzof fFig. 8.

InFigs. Land 2 I have illustrated a fragmentary-portionfof l-a cabinet I0 embodying a bank of lindividual employee rlocker compartments 'Il eachadapted to receive a cash *box 4I2-of va-s'ize tobe received Vwithin lthe compartment. fEach compartment is open at the rear and is provided with afclosure ldoor Idratthe front. The door is hinged at 115 and a spring fit normally swings f'it toclosedwposition. An opening knob I8 iscarried by eachdoor.

Each .compartment is provided with-a locking unit 20.0f .the natureshoWninPatents 1,640,605 and 2g222g43541and .adapted to. fbe locked r.in place inthe..compartment; by .a locking :bolty 22. Each such unit embodies a lock 24 having a bolt 26 for locking the door I4 in closed position. A counter meter 28 automatically records each closing movement of the lock 24, thereby recording any additional or abnormal locking of the compartment. Also cooperating with the lock 24 is an arm 30 (Fig. 7) pivoted at 32 and having a hook 34 on its free end adapted to cooperate with a notch 36 in the lock cylinder. A spring 38 normally swings the arm in a direction pulling the hook into the notch and thereby preventing rotation of the cylinder from the unlocked position to the door locking position. The arm 30 has a branch arm 4I! provided with a nger 42 on its free end which swings with the arm 30. When no obstruction prevents such swinging movement, the hook 34 prevents rotation of the lock to the door locking position of Fig. 3.

As illustrated in Figs. 1-5, each compartment II is provided with a bottom plate or platform 44 supported at its rear end by bolts 45 above the bottom wall 43 of the compartment and having its forward end normally raised by springs 46 to the position illustrated in Fig. 2. A flat metal strip abutment 41 secured to the forward end of the plate 44 at its side edge extends upwardly to a position opposed to the finger 42 and is provided therein with a gap or opening 48 located opposite to the finger when the platform 44 is in its normal raised position, a solid portion of the strip being located opposite to the nger and providing an abutment therefor when the platform is depressed as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. When the cabinet is empty and in unlocked condition the hook 34 prevents rotation of the lock 24 to the door locking position and, as is common with locks of this nature. the key I 'can be removed only when the lock is in the door locking position of Fig. 3. When the employee deposits her cash box or bag in the cabinet gravity operating thereon depresses the plate 44 to the position of Fig. 3. wherein the strip 41 obstructs normal movement of the finger 42 and hook 34, thereby rendering the hook inoperative and permitting rotation of the lock 24 to the door locking position. Thus the abutment 41 is gravity operated through any weight placed on the platform 44 to a position permitting the lock to be moved to the door locking position. The upturned rear edge of the Wall 43 forms a flange 50 which limits rearward movement of the box I2.

In Fig. 6, I have illustrated a modified form of the lock controlling mechanism, the compartment and lock being otherwise the same as in Figs. l-5. In this construction an abutment 60 supported by a plurality of rods 62 is provided at the rear of each cabinet. Springs 64 normally move the abutment forwardly to a limit stop position permitted by heads 66 on the rods. The abutment is so located that the placing of the cash -box I2 in the compartment and closing of the door I4 moves the abutment to its abnormal position, illustrated in Fig. 6. A flat metal vertical strip 68 is connected by a long horizontal strip to the abutment 60 and is disposed forwardly of the finger 42 (shown in broken lines in Fig. 6) when the abutment is in its forward and normal position. When the abutment is forced to its rearward and abnormal position the strip 68 is disposed in opposed relation to the finger and forms an obstruction preventing normal movement of the finger and hook 34, thereby permitting rotation 4 of the lock to the door locking position illustrated in Fig. 3. As illustrated, the box is of such predetermined length that the placing of it in the compartment and closing the door must necessarily move the abutment to its abnormal position and permit locking of the door.

In accordance with my novel cash box control service, the cash boxes are made up at night and placed each in its respective compartment II. Each employee retains her key and secures her box at the opening of the business day merely by using her key. The boxes remaining in the cabinet after the opening period automatically provide a record of absentee employees and can be cared for in any procedure desired. At the end of each day each employee returns her cash box to her compartment, locks the door and takes the key. It will be apparent that a double check on the proper return of the boxes is attained by the arrangement which prevents locking of the door and removing of the key before depositing the box in the compartment. The boxes are'automatically placed in the pre-arranged order in the compartments as assigned and an accounting of the receipts can therefore proceed with greatest eiiciency. It will be apparent that my novel system provides maximum efficiency both in the distribution of the boxes at the beginning of each day and in the accounting of the receipts at the end of the day and furthermore places the responsibility for each box directly on the employee.

It is desirable that the lock bolt 26 shall be movable to the door locking position of Fig. 3 only when the door is fully closed, and in Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated mechanism for automatically assuring this function. Pivoted on the wall at 8! is a pendulum-like member 82 carrying a U-shape abutment plate 84 on its bottom end. The U-plate straddles the wall 80 and one portion is located in the path of movement of the flange 86 of the door I4. When the door is open the member 82 swings to its vertical position in which the plate 84 covers the bolt receiving opening 88 and prevents passage of the bolt 25 therethrough. Closing of the door pivots the plate to the position illustrated in Fig. 8 and in which position the opening 88 is unobstructed and the lock can be rotated to the door locking position.

It will now be apparent that my invention provides a checking cabinet together with associated means for preventing locking of the cabinet door unless and until the box or parcel is deposited in the cabinet. A preferred means for performing this function includes the latch 30 shown in Fig. '7 and having a finger 42 cooperating with the upright abutment 41 carried by the cabinet platform 44. Normally, the platform assumes a position disposing a gap or opening 48 in the abutment in alignment with the finger and permitting the finger and latch to function and prevent the door locking movement of the lock. However, when a box or parcel is deposited on the platform in the cabinet the plate 41 is depressed to the position shown in Fig. 5 in which it serves as a stop preventing movement of the finger and functioning of the latch 30. In Figs. 8 and 9l I have shown a modied construction eliminating the latch 30 and operating directly on the lock normally to preventsits rotation to fdoor locking.

position. In this case the abutment 84, corresponding to the abutment 41, is mounted to move into and out of the path of movement of the locking bolt and normally operates directly to prevent rotation of the lock to door locking position. As illustrated in the drawing the abutment 84 is pivoted at 8|, normally hangs by gravity to the bolt obstructing position and is adapted to be moved by the door to non-obstructing position when the door is closed. These and other equivalent means can be employed in the invention to perform the function of preventing rotation of the lock to door locking position until the parcel is deposited in the cabinet and/or the door is closed.

- Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cash box distributing and receiving assembly, comprising a cabinet embodying a plurality of independent compartments relatively disposed horizontally and vertically and each adapted to receive a cash box, a closure door at the front of each compartment, a key controlled lock for retaining the door ,is closed position, means cooperating with the lock and normally preventing its movement to the door Alocking position, and cooperating means for rendering the first named means inoperative when the cash box is in the compartment and the door closed.

2. A checking cabinet comprising Walls providing a chamber, a closure door therefor, a key controlled lock for retaining the door in closed position, means cooperating with the lock and normally preventing its movement to the door locking position, a box of predetermined dimension adapted to be received within the chamber, and means located in the path of movement of the box when the box is being moved rearwardly in the chamber by closing movement of the door for moving the first named means to inoperative position.

3. A checking cabinet comprising walls providing a chamber, a closure door therefor, a key controlled lock including a locking bolt carried on said walls for retaining the door in closed position, means carried on said walls and normally in the path of movement of the bolt for preventing movement of the bolt to the door locking position when the door is open, and means located in the path of movement of the door for automatically moving the first named means to an abnormal position out of said path and permitting movement of the bolt to the doorlocking position when the door is moved to its closed position.

4. A checking cabinet comprising walls providing a chamber, a closure door therefor, a key controlled lock including a locking bolt carried by the cabinet and operative on the door for retaining the door in closed position, a pendulum-like member pivoted to the cabinet and normally hanging by gravity to a position obstructing movement of the bolt to the door locking position, and means located in the path of movement of the door for pivoting the member to an abnormal position permitting movement of the bolt to the door locking position when the door is moved to its closed position.

5. A checking cabinet comprising walls providing a chamber, a closure door therefor, a key controlled lock having a locking bolt for retaining the door in closed position, a member in the chamber normally in a predetermined position and adapted to be moved to an abnormal position by an article deposited in the chamber, a latch and cooperating means normally operative to prevent rotation of the lock to the door locking position, and means cooperating with said member and the latch for rendering the latch inoperative when the member is in said abnormal position.

6. The assembly dened in claim l in which the last named means includes a movably mounted member in each compartment for receiving and supporting the cash box and an abutment associated with the member and adapted to be moved by weight of the box on the memberfor rendering the first named means inoperative when the box is in the compartment.

'i'. The assembly defined in claim l in which the last named means includes a movably mounted member disposed in each compartment in a normal position adapted to be engaged by the box and moved to an abnormal position when the box is fully disposed in the compartment and an abutment associated with the member and the rst named means to render said means inoperative when the member is in the abnormal position.

8. A checking cabinet comprising walls providing a chamber, a closure door` therefor, a key controlled lock having a locking bolt for retaining the door in closed position, a platform in the chamber adapted to receive thereonto an article deposited in the chamber, means operative on the lock normally to prevent movement of the bolt to door-locking position, and gravity operated means cooperating with the platform and the first named means for rendering the iirst named means abnormally inoperative when said article is deposited onto the platform.

ELMER W. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 930,565 Schwinn Aug. 10, 1909 1,245,022 Piggot Oct. 30, 1917 1,270,264 Grand June 25, 1918 1,373,863 Buzzard Apr. 5, 1921 2,236,043 Tracy Mar. 25, 1941 2,259,389 Mstzeratt Oct. 14, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 109,183 Australia June 19, 1939 

